At Your Service
by Malfoy Mouth James- MMJ
Summary: Alexander Banks is just a normal human.., who hunts vampires. His whole life was dedicated to killing Vigo Skaar, but when he crosses over into modern day Chicago and meets Amy Hawthorne, his plans are muddled. The Vampire Stalker in Alexander’s point of view. I own none of this, I’m merely changing the point of view of this amazing book. On hiatus. Sorry...
1. chapter 1

_The wind rushed around me, blowing my hair around my ears as I ran. I could still spot Vigo's white blonde hair in the distance, slowly getting farther and farther away from me._

 _I wouldn't let him get away this time._

 _We ran through the dark streets in our usual cat and mouse chase. The houses on either side of the road flew past my vision, but I payed them no mind._

 _They would have no assitance for me to catch Vigo._

 _We ran across Michigan Avenue Bridge heading towards the Elgin District._

 _I could feel the adrenaline coursing through my body, lighting my veins with electricity and added energy. Soon enough, I reached the end of the bridge. I didn't notice at first the differences around me._

 _My eyes trained on Vigo, I saw him take a left turn and disappear around a corner. I followed after, and came to a halting stop._

 _The streets were mostly dark and empty, but at certain intervals odd little lamp posts shone into the black night. The buildings were more colorful and upkept, and there were shiny cars driving down the streets._

Why is no one following the curfew?

 _I caught a glimpse of Vigo again, and took off._

 _Soon I had chased him all the way into a more empty area, with no people around. I lost him for a moment when we reached a long and oddly placed park, but found him again._

He had sprung on his would-be victim, snatching them up and taking off down the side walk. Of course, I gave chase. I would not let him kill another innocent.

I ran along the shadows until I had caught up with him, leaping out and grabbing Vigo's shoulder. I yanked him back and he dropped the poor lass. Pulling my arm back, my clenched fist connected with his child-like face, the sound of cracking bones reverberating in the chilly air. I landed punch after punch, trying to free one of my hands to grab my stake. But Vigo was putting up too much of a fight, and I was progressively loosing my hold on him. I fought him with all the strength I had left, but my thirty seconds was soon up. Vigo fled with an inhuman growl, and I was tempted to go after him.

Alas, I was out of strength and I could feel the adrenaline draining as if a hose had burst.

Remembering the girl who had almost been killed, I looked around for where she had went.

I spotted her running down the sidewalk and caught up easily. She was much slower than Vigo had been just then.

"Are you alright Madam?" I asked, the only sound our breath and my coat flapping in the wind. "Are you injured?" She suddenly turned to look at me and stopped running.

Her mousy brown hair was tangled from the wind, and her cheeks were red with cold in the darkness.

She looked around, her eyes flitting around.

"Where'd he go?" She breathed, her body trembling. I would be too, if I were her. However, I am not, and fear is not something I would say I have when it comes to Vigo Skaar.

"Ran off. I could not catch him." She gave me an odd glance, before her eyes grew wide. She shook her head and looked at me again, pushing the hair out of her face. Her blue eyes shone in the dark as we stood under a street lamp.

"I will show you to your door, Miss. is this the way?" I asked. She should not have been out after curfew.

She looked around, her brows furrowing in confusion. "It's on the other side of the apartment complex." She said. I nodded once and started off, making sure she was following after me.

"I'm lucky you were there." She said suddenly, her voice wispy from being out of breath still.

"It was not luck, I was tracking him. And about to pounce on him before he grabbed you, I might add. I cannot imagine what possessed you to break curfew and leave yourself so exposed. There is no excuse for such recklessness." I said sternly.

I had never known of someone to be so foolishly brave as to break curfew, and be alone no less.

"I wasn't breaking my curfew. I don't even have a curfew." She said.

I glared at her as we continued on. "Indeed? I wonder if the town council would confirm that."

We had reached a large building, and she practically dove for the door handle. She opened it with a small key as she said,

"I'm going to call the police. I hope you can give them a better description than I can."

I frowned as we walked into the lobby area. "Call the police?" I scoffed. "Are you mad? They are of no use against him. They are too afraid themselves."

She slowly turned and looked at me. "Look, I don't know why you were following that guy, but you shouldn't put yourself in danger. He could really hurt you."

The lights in here were bright, confusingly so.

"I have every intention of killing him before he can do so."

She pulled something small out of her pocket, and pushed a button. It lit up with more fake bright lights.

"What is _that?"_ I asked. I was by now fully perplexed with this woman and her odd little building and gadget.

"A cell phone." She said slowly, as if she had to sound it out for me. I am not incompetent.

"Do you mean a telephone? That is very odd, Miss... Forgive me, I did not catch your name." I said, realizing I had not introduced myself either.

"Amy Hawthorne." She said, almost automatically.

"I am Alaexander Banks. At your service." I said, bowing.

She started to laugh and I straightened up.

I raised an eyebrow and demanded, "What is so humorous?"

"You look a lot like him; I'll give you that." She said.

"A lot like whom?" Perhaps she was mentally unstable?

"You know, Alexander Banks from the Otherworld books."

The what books? My frown deepened in confusion. "I do not know what books you speak of. In any case, I must be off to the Byward District to see if I can pick up his trail. Do you know, perchance, how I can get there from here?" I must have gotten lost in the chase and ended up in a different part of Chicago. This side looked nothing like the Elgin District.

She paused for a moment before she replied. "I'm sorry, but I'm not into the role-playing thing. I'm a fan of the books, too, but I need to deal with the police right now." She turned away from me and walked towards the shiny metal door.

"You will offer me no help?" How rude.

She turned around and looked at me. "My mother's waiting for me upstairs and could be down any second. And there's a security camera over there." She pointed at the camera perched above a mirror. Our reflections glinted back at me.

I turned back to this strange girl. "Just a moment ago I saved your life. Now you act as if I am threatening it?" I was perplexed by her, to say the least.

Had I not just saved her from being killed by a vampire?

"That guy wasn't necessarily going to-" she started, but I cut her off.

"Vigo Skaar never leaves his victims alive." I said bluntly.

She froze, her muscles clenching in shock and momentary fear.

"Vigo's just a character in a book, okay?" She quickly stepped into the little room beyond the sliding metal doors and pressed another button. I stuck my foot between the doors and they popped back open.

"Not so fast." I said, giving her a fierce look. "Not until you explain why you doubt who I am."

She immediately stepped out of the elevator.

"Why don't we sit down." It was not a question. This girl was getting annoying. Never before had I had someone doubt who I am, and I wished to know why she did now.

I took her arm and pulled her easily over to the uncomfortable looking couch where we sat down.

"I would like to know why you do not believe what I'm telling you."

She started to inch away from me. Subtly, but I had trained in the art of subtleness.

"I don't know what to say. I told you I just want to call the police." She said.

"And I told _you,_ the police are ineffective. Rather than patrolling the streets at night, they adhere to the curfew. They are not qualified to take on Vigo and his coven. This cannot be news to you."

Her expression slowly morphed through different emotions, before it fell blank.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Anyway, if you want to get to the Byward District, it's just, uh, a couple of miles north of here. Turn left at the stop sign half a block down, and keep walking."

Finally. "Thank you for the directions." I said, standing up. Amy stood up as well.

 _Now, what are these 'books?'_

"You keep referring to these books. Please tell me why."

She sighed and glanced back at the shiny metal doors.

"Alexander Banks is a character in the Otherworld books."

"And what role do I supposedly play in them?"

"You're James'a cousin. The vampire stalker."

I considered this. "I am aware of my actions being reported in the _Daily Sentinel,_ but not in any books. Whatever these volumes say, I assure you they are entirely unauthorized. I am the real Alexander Banks. I give you my word." There. Now she must believe me.

"Okay. You're Alexander Banks." She deadpanned. I cleaned my jaw and breathed in deeply.

"You clearly do not believe me. How can I prove who I am?" This has gone farther than I expected, but I had never met someone who challenged my word so.

"You could stick out your tongue."

That's an odd request. Her reply threw me for a moment. "I beg your pardon?"

"Alexander Banks can't drink anything too sweet or tart because his tongue got slashed by a vampire's blade. If you show me the scar, I'll believe you."

How did she know this? I thought about it for a moment. "Very well." I stuck out my tongue.

She gasped and took a half step back. She stared at me in shock and stood there speechless. Finally, maybe I had gotten the message across. I wasn't going to stop there, not until she believed me.

"I have several other scars that may reinforce the verdict." I pushed back my coat and unbuttoned my shirt to show her the circular white scar beneath my collarbone. She blushed.

"James and I were nine, fencing with tree branches. He impaled me. I almost bled to death." She nodded almost drunkenly. I began to roll up one of my sleeves.

"I also have-"

"It's okay. I-I believe you." She said, cutting me off.

She seemed to falter and closed her eyes for a moment. Was she going to faint?

"I just don't understand. How could you _be_ the _Alexander Banks_ from the books?" She asked.

"I have absolutely no idea. Which is why I must see these books you speak of. But first, please, tell me where I am. I know this city as well as I know the lines in my own palm, but I must have chased Vigo farther than I thought." I said.

She shivered violently and wobbled again. She was _definitely_ going to faint.

"Are you well, miss?" I asked, my voice laced with concern.

"Not if you're saying the guy who jumped me was actually Vigo." She said quietly.

"Indeed, it was." I said. This was all _very_ confusing.

"Okay. I have to show you. The books, I mean. I think you better come up to my apartment... Alexander."

This was the most cooperative she had been since I had saved her from Vigo. I was definitely making progress.


	2. Chapter Two

"Mom, this is my friend, Alexander. Alexander, Mom." Amy said once we had made it into her small flat. Her mother seemed nice enough, and not the least bit dangerous. She looked a lot like Amy as well, only older.

She looked between Amy and me before she forced a smile.

"Nice to meet you, Alexander." She said, subconsciously touching her hair.

"Likewise." I said, not bowing this time. According to Amy, that was not something people did in this strange world.

"I'm going to get us something to eat, okay, Mom?" Amy said.

"There's leftover shepherds pie in the fridge. It's at the back. Here, I'll show you."

Amy turned back to me as her mother walked into what must have been the kitchen, saying, "Have a seat."

Sitting down on the couch, my attention was caught by a very colorful small thing. It's was only maybe 1/5 the size of the wall, and had little people in it. They were walking around and talking to each other, and I could hear laughter in the background. I glanced at Amy with an astonished expression, but she shook her head. Indeed it would probably not go well if I asked what this... thing... was when it was quite obvious to the rest of them what it's purpose may be. I barely even noticed as she left the room after her mother.

The people seemed quite moronic, in my opinion, but someone must have found it very funny because they kept laughing. But who was laughing? It wasn't anyone on the screen, and there was no one else in the living room. The colors were so bright and the people looked incredibly fake. What was this magic box? Was it like Amy's telephone?

The person laughed again and my curiosity got the better of me. I checked to see if Amy or her mother was coming back, and when I saw they weren't I stood up. I walked over to the color wall and looked behind it.

There was no one there, but the laughter was still coming from somewhere. There was nothing but wires. Perhaps they had trapped a person _inside_ the color wall?

No, a person surely wouldn't fit in there. I went and sat back down on the couch, taking in the rest of the room. There was another little box thing with colors on it, but it seemed to be... sleeping almost. It sat on a desk and had a flat piece with lots of buttons in front of it.

On one wall there was a book shelf. Now _that_ I could understand.

Amy walked back in with a bowl of potatoes, corn, and beef and a glass of water. I downed them fast, very hungry after chasing Vigo for so long.

Amy's mother poked her head into the room and told Amy to not forget to get clean sheets and towels for 'the guest.'

I turned to look at Amy. "Shall I take that for an offer of hospitality?" I asked.

"My mom said you could stay for a couple of days. I didn't tell her who you really are."

I frowned. Why did she not? "I'd have thought guy maybe reputation would recommend me. If she reads the _Daily Sentinel,_ she might well have heard of me."

"There is no _Daily Sentinel_ here." She said. This statement confused me even more. How could there not be?

"Are we not in Chicago?"

"We're in Chicago, just not _your_ Chicago. I don't know how, but you're not in Otherworld anymore."

"What is Otherworld?" Amy used words I had never heard of before, and every moment I was becoming more confused.

She hesitated before answering. "Well, it's the place in the books. What I'm saying is, you're not in _your_ world anymore." I mulled this over.

"Then where am I?"

"I don't know. _Here._ A place without vampires."

I could not believe how stubborn one girl could be. "You must be mistaken. You were clearly attacked by-"

"I know. But I don't know how he got here, or how you got here. Hold on a second. Let me get the books for you." She ran off, and I thought, _Finally. These blasted books she has been blabbering about!_

She came back with two hard books, and I took them from her. Studying the pictures on the front, I was taken aback.

"Good Heavens! That's me! And James! And _her."_ I scowled at the drawing of Hannah. How my insolent cousin had managed to fall for a vampire was beyond me. He should stake her while he's got the chance.

I opened one of the books and flipped through the pages. Amy sat down next to me and flipped to a certain point. I read the words on the page and became more confused. I was reading my thoughts, from a while ago.

"Astounding." I muttered.

I stupefied the books, making shocked exclamations when I came upon parts I was in. Eventually it was all becoming too much so I set the books aside and sank back on the couch. I ran my hand through my hair, trying to think straight.

"I don't know what to make of it." I stated.

"I don't, either. Maybe you chased Vigo through a portal of some kind." She said. And she tells me _my_ world is ficticios.

"A portal? In my world, portals are the stuff of fiction." I said.

"Here, too." Well, at least we can agree on one thing. "But there must be some reason that you started off chasing Vigo in Otherworld Chicago, and you ended up chairing him here in real Chicago." My face twitched.

"You Belice that _my_ world is the fantasy one, do you? I assure you it's not. _This_ world, which you claim has no vampires and oddities such as" I glanced at the color projector. "miniature film projectors, seems fantastical to me."

Amy remained silent for a long while, thinking of what I had said. Finally, she said,

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. Your world is as real as mine."

"Thank you." I paused to ponder. "There must be some passageway between my Chicago and yours. Otherwise, this author could not have known what is happening there." A pause. "If a portal exists, i believe it is located in the vicinity of the Michigan Avenue Bridge. Earlier this evening, I tracked down Vigo and chased him across the bridge. Soon after, I became aware that I did not recognize where we were. I didn't understand it because the bridge ends off in the Elgin District, and we clearly weren't there. Come to think of it, that's when I noticed that many people were out past curfew."

"And then you ended up at me building complex." Amy said.

"Yes. I'd lost Vigo briefly. I imagine that he was as disoriented as is was. That must be why he stopped to feed- he didn't appear to realize that I was still after him." I looked over at Amy, who looked slightly queasy. She shook her head and suggested that I go back to the bridge.

"Maybe there's a chance you'll find your way home."

I shook my head. "Getting home is not my primary concern." I said, giving her a hard glance.

She seemed to know exactly what I was thinking, and said, "You want to find Vigo."

"Until I know for certain that Vigo has returned to my world, I'm not going anywhere." I stated. She nodded and looked towards the color projector.

"By the way, it's called a TV."

Soon after, Amy pulled out a stack of blankets and a pillow, setting them in the end of the couch. She said her good nights and departed to her room, but I wasn't going to sleep yet. I had reset my internal clock to e like that of a vampire's. Instead, I planned to investigate further into these books written by Elizabeth Howard.

I picked up what Amy had said was the first one, and opened it to page one.


	3. Chapter Three

**_Okay, sorry guys that it's been so long. Really, it's been eating at me. But I've got these friends, who read these books, and I was starting to fear my life if I didn't read them as well. So my life has been sucked up by Sarah J. Maas and the Throne Of Glass series. Very good, not sure it's worth the pain though. Anyways, I wish I could say that I could update loads now that I'm on spring break, but I don't think that's going to happen. I've got plans to travel across the world and spread the word of God, so unfortunately my words shall not spread. But here you go! Enjoy!_**

 ** _I own nothing! Literally. I'm poorer than dirt. I can't even afford dirt._**

When Amy walked into the kitchen the next morning, I was seated at the small kitchen table with a cup of tea in one hand and Otherworld in the other. It was fascinating, to say the least, of how this author was able to so accurately get down all of our movements and thoughts from a whole other world.

I raised my eyes to peer at her as she stood in the doorway, her brown hair slightly frizzy from sleep. "Good morning, Amy." I said. She seemed to tense before erasing the shock from her face.

"Did you sleep well?" She asked.

"I have not slept yet. I went out hoping to regain his trail. Then, at dawn, I returned and started reading. I hope you do not mind that I used your keys."

Her eyes flickered to where I had replaced said keys by the front door as she said, "It's okay." I could see the look on her face, the same look that everyone else seemed to don when my sleeping habits came up in conversations.

"I sleep in the afternoons. But then, I suppose you know that. I suppose you know a lot about me." I pursed my lips and looked back down to the open book in front of me. "It seems there is no detail of my life too minute for Elizabeth Howard to share with the world."

Amy smiled, a weak and weary smile, but a smile. As if she were trying to make me feel better. It was an odd concept that I quickly scraped out. "That's what makes Otherworld so fascinating. The details." She said.

"I am sure she would be glad of your approval." I said, allowing only part of the bitterness I felt to enter my words.

Amy ignored my comment, and instead asked, "Where did you go last night?"

"All over this city of yours. It is a funny thing. Some streets go by the same names as in my Chicago, others are different. Some areas I recognize, others have changed irrevocably. I will have to study maps before going out again tonight." With that, I turned back to the book to read more of what Elizabeth Howard had published of my life.

"I'll make us some eggs." Amy said, moving towards the large refrigerator. Another feat of this time that was indeed interesting…

"Do not trouble yourself. I have had my sustenance." I replied without looking up from the book.

"I'll make them anyway." She said before setting about to do just that. She started banging pots around as she cooked, and every now and then I would cast a glance at her. Her life was certainly different, and she was certainly different from any other person I had met because of it. I watched carefully as she moved so easily in this complicated kitchen- expertly cooking with jars of things I had never even heard of before. I turned back to the book in front of me.

It was not much later when she set a large plate full of eggs and such in front of me. The smell was intoxicating and my stomach yearned for it.

"Thank you. It is very kind of you." I said, and before I could say anything else Amy said,

"You're welcome. I'm going to eat in the other room so you can read." And with that she swept from the room, leaving behind her the smell of eggs and something softer. Not a moment later did other voices come from the room, and I listened closely as the TV roared to life.

"-Two teenage boys were found dead on a basketball court in Archer Park, apparently with teeth-marks-" that was all I needed to hear before I stood up and walked into the living area. Amy sat on the couch with her shoulders drooped and her face in her hands as the woman on the screen continued to talk. I carefully sat down next to her, my gaze flickering between her and the TV.

"Is this happening in the present time?" I asked. Amy nodded, her brown hair slipping out from behind her ear. I frowned as I listened again to the reporter. After a pause filled with nothing but the noise from the box, I said, "I will need excellent maps of the city. Schematics of underground tunnels and sewer systems are essential."

"Don't you think you should take a couple of days to get to know the city?" She asked, lifting her face from her hands to look at me. There was still a trace of the twisted emotions on her face as she looked at me- no doubt blaming herself in some way for the two deaths. "If you don't know your way around, it could work against you."

"Vigo doesn't know the city, either. He would not have his usual hiding places, nor the protection of his coven. This could be the chance I've been waiting for." I said after taking a breath. Amy frowned but nodded in agreement and understanding.

"I'll get you maps. And some clothes, too. So you won't attract attention."

"I appreciate your help and hospitality." I said, feeling the chilling resolve fall over me, freezing my blood and hardening my face. "Let me assure you that I will do everything in my power to stop Vigo before he can cause more terror. I do not wish you world to become like mine." Amy gave me a look in response that screamed, me neither.

Amy had given me a shirt of hers to wear when we went to the 'Mall' as she called it. I couldn't help but feel ridiculous as I walked next to her, still in my own trousers and boots now paired with her shirt that smelled faintly of vanilla. I ignored the many stares I got as she led me through the near-empty halls, especially those from the females. I had no interest or time in such silly things.

I noticed however as Amy continued to shoot paranoid glances around us. I wanted to remind her that all was fine, as long as the sun was out. But I felt she already knew that, and her worry was from something else entirely. I was looking around myself, but in wonder and awe instead of paranoia. I had never seen a place so large and grand in my own Chicago, with so many false lights and colorful shops.

"This is definitely not my Chicago. I have never seen anything like this. So many lights and colors. It's dizzying." I admitted.

"Are there shopping malls where you're from?" She asked, peering up at me. The lights above us and the sunlight from the open windows reflected in her marble green eyes.

"There are shopping plazas of various kinds. None as colossal as this one. And all of them are aglow with natural light, for obvious reasons." I cast another glance up to the open skylight in the ceiling. "Are there parts of this plaza that are not exposed to natural light?"

Amy looked away from my gaze, looking around as if she could see through the walls to the shadowy recesses of the building. "I think so. There are lots of stores in the basement."

This troubled me as I replied. "Then he can move about here by day, if he likes." I almost regretted saying it as she shuddered, but knew it was always safer to say these things than to assume someone already knew them.

"There are a lot of places where he could move around in the daytime. Malls, movie theaters, office buildings. And there are miles of underground subway tunnels all over the city."

I nodded, feeling determined as she veered off towards a large store. "Let us get this shopping done, Amy, so I can study the schematics."

When we walked through the moving doors- another wonder to add to my ever-growing list- I looked around in amazement. "Such a vast selection of…" I paused as I tried to take in everything within sight. "Everything. How does one chose?" There were aisle upon aisle of different goods. Amy smiled and led me towards a rack of odd looking trousers, saying they were for a reduced price. I shook my head and responded that they looked ridiculous. She frowned and said that they were for sports. I considered it as she showed me other sorts of trousers that I had never seen before. There were some of an off coffee color that I did approve of. After that, I picked up some shirts with short sleeves made of thin material, a thicker shirt with longer sleeves, a jacket, socks, and some toiletries.

"I will find a way to repay you." I said sternly as we walked out of the store later. It was hard for me to let her buy these things for me, but I had no other choice. I would have to rely on Amy until I was able to travel this world on my own.

"You saved my life, and you're trying to protect my city. It's the least I can do." She said. It helped to ease the sense of dependence and debt, but not by much.

"I am, nonetheless, grateful. Are we done here?" I asked, rubbing my temples.

"One more thing. I think you should have some running shoes." She said, eyeing my leather boots. I looked down at them as well, the battered leather familiar to me.

"My boots are adequate." I said with a slight frown.

"Maybe, but take a look at these." Amy said as she suddenly turned into another store, leading me to a wall adorned with different types of shoes. I picked up a brightly colored shoe that perhaps would not even pass the ankle, and said,

"Strange design."

"Why don't you try it? It might be easier to run in these than your boots." She said smartly.

"This shoe is clearly not my size, and there is no time to have more made." I pointed out none too lightly. Amy smiled at me, trying to hide her amusement.

"They have some in the back room that are your size." She explained. More in the back? How many pairs of shoes did they have here? And how does she know they'll have ones to fit?

A man walked up to us then, asking if I wanted to try them on. I opened my mouth to tell him what I had told Amy, but she answered for me.

"He'll try them on, but he's not sure of his size. Could you measure his feet?" I allowed the stranger to measure my feet, in a completely different way than they have always been measured, and then waited in my socks for the salesman to bring back the shoes. Once he did, I slipped them on and walked a few steps. I shook my head quickly, pursing my lips as I looked down at them.

"These won't do at all. They feel as though I am walking on marshmallows. Thank you, Amy, but my boots will do just fine." I watched as she bit back her laughter again, her eyes bright with the restrained mirth.

"They're called running shoes. They should help you run even faster than you do now." She said, watching me as I contemplated this.

"Faster?" I jumped up and down several times, feeling the sole of the shoe soak up the impact. "I will take them."

After we bought the shoes, I changed into the new clothes we had bought in one of the mall restrooms. Another feat of this Chicago. I would never admit it to anyone-certainly not James the next I saw him- but for a minute or so I stood in front of the gray box on the wall that whirred loudly with cold air everytime I passed my hand in front of it.

I waited as Amy sat at the computer, quickly flicking through different images and printing out large maps which I then spread out across the table in the kitchen. I studied them, asking her questions when I came across something unfamiliar or confusing. I would need descriptions of landmarks, topography, the city itself. She seemed to have some trouble pulling forwards the details, but she was able to find answers from the small screen again.

At one point, a young woman appeared in the doorway with messy hair and, dear God, I had never seen a shorter nightgown before. I turned my attention quickly back to the maps. This city sure was different.

"Who's that?" she demanded. I allowed Amy to answer for me as my eyes slid across the map, back and forth.

"This is my friend Alexander. He's staying with us for a couple of days."

"Staying here? Why?" The girl asked. I looked up at her again from the maps, giving her a cool glare.

"And who are you?" I asked.

"Chrissy." She answered, clearly taken aback.

"Chrissy?" I repeated, the name odd and sounding off. "It is not a name I am familiar with."

Amy cut in, saying, "It's short for Christina."

"I see." I said, nodding. "That is a name I recognize, to be sure."

"Do you have a problem with my name or something?" The short girl, Christina, demanded suspiciously.

"No. Do you?" I asked, puzzled. She didn't reply so I turned back to the maps.

I heard her shuffled footsteps as she left the kitchen, and Amy's as she followed after her. I figured it must be her younger sister. She did indeed look like Amy, only smaller and with lighter hair. But the nose and eyes were the same, and the set of their jaw and cheekbones.

I listened as Christina talked to Amy, and when I could not make out all the words, I silently walked up to the doorway to watch as they spoke.

"-Some crazy person's out there killing people, pretending to be a vampire. It's 'cause of all those vampire books you read." Christina was saying as she sat on the couch, watching the news. They seemed to still be talking about the murders from this morning.

"You don't know that. But anyway, we should all be extra careful. There's obviously someone dangerous on the loose." Amy replied quickly. Indeed there was.

"Scary." Christina said lightly, trying to brush off her sister's words. "I'm going to take a shower." She said, standing up and turning off the TV before flouncing out.

Amy sighed and turned, her eyes landing on me.

"Your sister is an interesting specimen." I said, and did not mean it as a compliment.

"She's going through a phase. A long phase."

"Her manners are lacking. So unlike your own."

"Thanks. Chrissy can get under people's skin. I try not to let it bother me." She said as she turned away a bit.

"Are you successful?" I inquired.

"Not always." A shrug. "She's been much worse since my father left."

I frowned at her as she turned back. "Your father left? Did he go to war?"

Amy's face scrunched up, as if she had almost laughed at the question. "No, nothing that noble. He left one day after telling my mom he was seeing another woman."

My eyes widened as I whistled under my breath. "What he did is unthinkable. I know of few men who would do such a thing. Women and children should never be without a man to protect and provide for them." I said.

She seemed to bristle momentarily, before understanding flashed across her face. "It's different here. We don't need a man's protection. A lot of men, and women, too, leave their families and start new ones. The whole till death do us part thing hasn't been true for a long time."

I frowned again as she finished. "It is a bitter pill to swallow."

"Yeah." She said meekly.

"Your father appears to be a cad of the first order." I said, and then realized it might offend her. But she shrugged and said,

"He doesn't think he's done anything wrong. He says he didn't mean to fall in love with someone else. Anyway, there's no point in arguing with him. When I give him a hard time, I don't hear from him again for weeks." She said naturally, the words seeming to come easily.

"That is because of his guilt." I said thoughtfully.

"Maybe. I wouldn't know."

"I do know, Amy." I said firmly. "Because I have hurt people, and I've hated to look them in the eye."

She looked at me, her green eyes unwavering. "Aunt Helen."

"Yes. my one regret is the disappointment I caused her. She was a remarkable woman." I said, not allowing my thoughts to fall into the boxes of memories I had shoved away.

Amy bit her lip, her eyes now giving away the sadness she felt inside. "I hope it doesn't bother you that I know so much about you life." She said after a few moments.

"It irks me that this Elizabeth Howard has shared so much without my permission. But I have no problem with you knowing. You have been nothing but generous and forthcoming with me. I am in your debt." I said, my head tilted to the side.

"No, you're not. I'm in yours."

"I will argue the point at another time. Right now, I should sleep."

Her face changed quickly as she said, "Of course." She set about to pull out the sofa, setting the sheets upon it before leaving and closing the door after her. I looked around the living room once more, at the black TV and the wires that snuck out from behind it. Deciding it was indeed time for me to get some sleep if I wanted to be able to hunt Vigo tonight, I laid down on the sofa. I fell asleep quickly, the only sound in the house the faint sound of Amy's voice coming from her room.


	4. Chapter Four

I awoke just before sunset. The curtains were drawn and the living area was empty. I merely followed the sound of voices after folding the blankets I had slept with, and found myself once again in the kitchen. I gave a curt nod of greeting to Amy, her mother, and her sister as Amy handed me a plate of food. I thanked her and ate quickly before grabbing up the maps and promptly leaving the apartment. If I wanted to get a head start on Vigo, I would need to begin before the moon replaced the sun.

The sun was quickly disappearing, and the odd, bright street lamps were popping on as I went through the city. This Chicago was very different from my Chicago, and yet, there were similarities. Some of the buildings I was able to vaguely recognize, and I passed storefronts with familiar names. I made my way towards the closest possibility if Vigo's hideout. There were a few spots I had circled on the map while Amy had helped describe certain areas for me.

Thinking of Any left me feeling a bit guilty for everything she had done, and worried she might in turn be hurt by Vigo. However, thoughts on anything but the hunt lead to distractions, which lead to death. So I pushed all thoughts Amy related away and focused again on the shadowy city.

Nothing. I had seen nothing, and the only tidbits I had heard had been angry adults cursing Elizabeth Howard or sullen youth defending her name. I opened the door to Amy's appartment silently and felt along the walls in the dark towards the living area. I kept my steps silent as to not awake anyone.

 _Otherworld_ was still on the small table by the sofa, so I picked it up and started where I had left off.

Amy walked in the next morning as I was reading _The Mists._ It hadn't taken too long to finish the first novel. She smiled and said hello.

I smiled back, but it didn't reach my eyes. Amy's smile faltered. She must have been able to tell last night did not go well.

"Good morning."

Her eyes went to the newspaper on the table. I had found it in the hall last night on my way back and decided to pick it up. "I found this outside your neighbor's apartment." I explained. "Astonishing story, isn't it? The Otherworld phenomenon is so great that the author is being criticized for somehow inciting the killings."

She picked up the newspaper and sat next to me. Her broe furrowed as she read it over.

"It is difficult to comprehend." I said.

Amy nodded and replied, "Just because Elizabeth Howard writes aboutvampires doesn't mean she should be blamed for the killings."

"I meant the popularity of the series is difficult to understand." I corrected. "The better part of it is tomantic drivel. James and Hannah as star-crossed lovers? It insults my sensibilities." I huffed and frowned. Who would ever in their right minds think Hannah was an okay match for my cousin? I certainly had to disagree.

"It's different when you're looking in from the outside. People like melodrama and... Romance." Amy said softly. She always spoke so carefully. It was a little endearing.

"Melodrama and romance? Is that why people care about what's going on in my world?" _That_ was insulting. There were vampires rampaging the streets and murdering people, yet the books were interesting because of _romance?_

"That's part of it. Personally, your story line of avenging your family is the one I find most interesting, not James and Hannah's relationship."

I scowled. "What he sees in her, I'll never know." At least Amy was... somewhat rational. I felt a portion of smug pride that she found my story more interesting.

"Hey," she said suddenly, "I want to show you something. Come with me." She led me to the second living room that she called a 'den' that I had slept in the day before. She pressed a button on a small box and screen and motioned for me to sit down while she grabbed another chair. I slowly sat down, my eyes never leaving the contraption.

"Is this similar to the one in the living room? With live news reports?" I asked curiously.

"No, that's a TV. A computer is like..." she trailed off and scrunched up her nose as she thought. "It's a machine that holds a lot of information. Almost anything you'd find in a library or newspaper is on here. And it's also like a typewritter, except you can see the words on the screen instead of on paper."

"Extraordinary." I murmured, looking behind the box-shaped 'computer' for something that made the pictures appear.

Amy typed on the letter keys and the screen changed. I looked at the picture of the cover of _The Mists of Otherworld._

I looked at Amy. "Do all of these computer machines have this picture on them?"

"No, I put it there myself." She said. The light from the screen cast half her face in shadows. "You can put whatever picture you want on your computer."

"I see." I said, even if it was all still very confusing.

She reached past me to do something on the computer, and her arm brushed mine. She was holding her breath, but I barely noticed any of it as I gazed in wonderment at the computer.

"So you're saying that when someone else puts on a computer, this is not what appears on their screen."

"Right. When my sister opens it, she's at the homepage of Metal Mouth, her favorite band. Now, look at this." She typed some more and the screen changed again. Fascinating...

"What is all this?" I asked, looking closely at the screen and glancin at all of the words.

"It's people talking about the books." She moved the little white pointer and clicked on something. "Someone here wanted to talk about the ending of _The Mists,_ and almost four hundred people responded in the last few hours."

"Remarkable. Wait a minute- who id Mrs. Alexander Banks eight thousand and twenty-one?" I asked as I saw the small name at the top. I certainly was not married, and who would call themselves that?

"It's just, uh, a name. Everyone had to log in under a made- up name." Amy stammered. I turned to look at her, narrowing my eyes. Her face was splotchy and bright red.

"And is this _your_ made-up name?" I was astonished to say the least. How _odd._

Yes, but it's just a joke. I mean, there sre thousands of other Mrs. Alexander Bankses. That's why I'm number eight thousand and twenty-one." She said quickly, not meeting my eyes. Her face only continued to redden until there were no more splotches on her very pink face. However, she did not look bad with the blush.

"Hmm. I am glad, at least, to see that some readers support my caude. Wait a minute." I said again, touching my finger to the smooth, cold screen. "Is that person claiming to be Vigo's lover?" Preposterous. Why would _anyone_ want to call themselves that?

"It's just a joke, I told you. She doesn't know Vigo is real." Amy defended.

"Joke or not, it isn't funny."

"Let me show you something else." She said instead. "It's called e-mail. Electronic mail. You can send a letter through the conputer."

Amy proceeded to show me how to send an e-mail, check the weather, the local news, the times of sunrise and sunset. The last one would be very useful. I wished I would have had that when I was first starting out as a vampire hunter.

Every new page was like starting all over again. It was all very interesting and new. I asked question after question before pushing back and declaring,

"I would love to bring this knowledge back to my world. When the vampires came, almost a hundred years ago, many of our brightest minds fled. Anyone with money fled. It is no wonder we are stuck in the past." I paused, feeling disappointed that my own Chicago had been stuck so far back for so long. Then I turned and picked up _The Mists,_ pushing the sadening thoughts away. "I can't believe how many people have read these books." I flipped to the back cover again, studying the picture of Elizabeth Howard. "It is essential that I speak to the author. Perhaps I could speak to her on the telephone, or we could arrange to meet."

Amy pondered it for a moment. "It's not easy to get in touch with someone as famous as her. I'm sure her address and phone number would be unlisted."

"We must find a way. She may have some insight into finding Vigo. Perhaps she knows where he is right now. And I need to understand how she could possibly know so many details of my life- including my thoughts." I shuddered internally at the thought.

"Maybe Elizabeth Howard goes through the same portal that you and Vigo came through, and that's why she knows Otherworld so well." She paused. "But yhat doesn't explain how she'd know her characters' thoughts." Indeed.

"However she does it, it's totally objectionable. And I intend to tell her so after she has helped me lovate Vigo." If I told her beforehand, she might very well refuse to help.

"I'll check her tour dates. I know she isn't coming to Chicago until November, but she might be somplace else we can get to." She turned back to the computer and clicked around some more before saying, "She'll be signing in New York City next weekend. That's a long way, but it's manageble. We could take a bus."

I nodded. "New York City it is. I am most eager to make Elizabeth Howard's acquaintance."


End file.
